In the preceding years
It has been a family tradition to attend New Years Eve celebrations in our local church. Since I used to be young, our parents made it mandatory for the whole household to participate in the service as we usher in the New Year.
A Reggae Concert to Usher in the New Year
A majority of my friends attended different functions and narrated to me how they had fun. As such, I always wished I could be a part of them. However, the strict rules at home under the leadership of my parents made it impossible for any of us to miss the church service. On the final day of 2016, I got the chance to attend a reggae concert to usher in the New Year 2017 in an open air venue.
Anticipation and Disappointment
In my mind, I fantasized about how the concert will be entertaining. I looked forward to hearing my favorite songs and dancing my heart out and having the time of my life. I left the house in the company of my friends and arrived at the arena two hours before midnight.
An Overcrowded Arena
Very ecstatic and jubilated, we took out seats and started waiting for the concert to pick up. At this time, people were few but still arriving. At around 11 pm, the arena was full. The music was loud and people were dancing all over. The songs played were all new to me. So I sat down and waited to hear my favorite songs.
A Boring Night
At midnight, the arena was over crowded. It was impossible to get a place to dance. I felt quite bored by the high number of people because the place was extremely overcrowded and hot. It was hard to move about in the arena making the place quite uneventful. At some point, I lost my friends in the crowd. Finding them was a very hard task. My thoughts were contemplating how I would start the year on a sad note. The only positive thing in the event was the fireworks blown in the sky. Their colors were amazing. I loved the sight of them.
Disappointment and Frustration
After midnight, the music became louder. At some point, the words in the music were not audible. The majority of the people were drunk, and commotions were so many. I beseeched my friends to leave with me, but none of them could hear any of it. As much as I tried, it was impossible to understand the fun in such concerts. At around 4 AM, the number of people had reduced. However, the chilly morning weather had set in, and I was freezing. Unable to withstand the cold, I left the arena and went to sleep in the car. My friends came almost an hour later, and we headed home.
A Lesson Learned
It is now a month later. But my disappointment is still very fresh in my mind. The events of the night were the complete opposite of my expectations. I thought that religious activities were boring; that I would dance my heart out and that I would have fun. However, I did not enjoy the night due to the annoying songs, the full arena, and the cold that summed up my boring night. This year, I will join my family in the church. I intend to convince my friends to join me in church and experience the spiritual satisfaction of beginning the year in church. The event was a huge disappointment to me. However, I was happy that my parents gave me permission to attend the event and trusted me with the responsibility of looking after myself.
